


Daffodils and Daisies

by CosmicRiot



Category: Mirror's Edge
Genre: Body Horror, F/M, Gore, Hanahaki Disease, Happy Ending, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-12
Updated: 2018-01-12
Packaged: 2019-03-03 16:58:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13345536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CosmicRiot/pseuds/CosmicRiot
Summary: “Red spilled from her mouth and fluttered over the edge of the building. Faith watched at the bright red daffodil floated to the ground, a burst of red against a sea of white pavement.”





	Daffodils and Daisies

The City was bright and bustling, unaware of Faith Connors running on the rooftops, bag strapped across her chest and resting at her hip. Her pace was slow. Much slower than it should have been. It had been like this for the last two weeks, and it was starting to irritate her mentor. Once Faith made her drop, Merc’s voice buzzed to life in her ear. 

 

“What’s wrong, kiddo? That took you twenty minutes when it should have taken ten.”

“Just feeling a little off today, Merc.” Saying his name caused a sharp pain in Faith’s chest, and she slowed down even more, breathing hard. 

“You don’t sound good. Maybe you should come back home.”

“I’m alright. What’s the next job?”

Silence. 

Faith fiddles with her earpiece. “Hello? Merc, you there?” 

She coughed sharply and quickly turned off her com. She felt the familiar rising in her throat and tried to stop it, but it was too late. She was gagging and gasping and trying to breathe but she couldn’t. Red spilled from her mouth and fluttered over the edge of the building. Faith watched at the bright red daffodil floated to the ground, a burst of red against a sea of white pavement. Her chest ached as she tried to control her shallow breathing. 

Slowly, Faith reached back up and turned back on her com to hear Merc sounding annoyed. 

“Done messing around yet?”

“So-“ Faith coughed hard, her throat in agony after the daffodil. Faith swallowed a few times and kept her voice low. 

“I... need a bit. Talk to you after I get my shit together?”

“Faith, are you alright?”

“Fine. Just need a breather.” She half lied. 

“Alright. Let me know when you’re ready.”

The line went dead, and Faith sat on the edge of the roof, thinking. 

Being frank with herself, she had maybe a week, two weeks left if she didn’t do something. She could get the flowers and vines growing in her chest removed- and with it, all her feelings for Mercury. Her heart hurt at the very thought. She couldn’t imagine not loving him. The way he laughed, his hand on her shoulder after waking in the morning in greeting, the comfortable silence between them when Faith was home and Merc was working. His eyes, his- 

Faith hacked, catching five red petals and a mouthful of blood in her hand. 

“Fuck...” she whispered, flicking her hand over the edge, shaking off the petals and blood as best as she could. She took off her glove and shoved it in her bag. 

She couldn’t bring herself to tell him either. Merc had his past and his demons, and Faith knew he didn’t love her. He couldn’t. He was her mentor, her boss. Drake has mentioned that Merc was still destroyed over his ex. It simply wasn’t possible. 

Faith didn’t let the tears run as she coughed more petals. 

 

———————————————————

 

Faith dropped into the lair, greeted by the familiar sight of the living room and Merc’s set up. She was glad to be home, ecstatic to be able to rest for a bit. Her chest had a constant ache now, it was getting harder and harder to breathe. Running left her exhausted to the point where she could barely move when she got home. Faith sat on the couch with a heavy sigh, glad Merc wasn’t at his desk to see her at the moment. 

Come to think of it, he hadn’t been at his desk for the past week, whenever she came home. It was odd, as he usually knew when she was getting back and greeted her. Merc had seemed odd lately... Then again, so had Faith. She briefly wondered if she was projecting onto him. 

“Hey.”

The hoarse, husky voice pulled the runner out of her thoughts. Merc plopped on the couch, right next to her. “When did you get home, kiddo?”

“Just now.” Faith stretched and caught scent of fresh cut flowers mixed with metallic scent of blood. She wondered if it was because the mixture was stuck in her throat, or if she smelt like that all the time now. But Merc didn’t say anything, so she didn’t draw attention to it. 

Merc gave a low hum. “I picked up some of the tea you like. Any preference for dinner?”

Faith’s stomach churned at the thought of food right now. Eating was excruciating. “Mm. Not really.”

“I’ll pick something up then. Want to tag along? Maybe somethin’ll catch ya on the way.”

“Nah, not hungry. Just... Grab me something and I’ll eat later.”

“Suit yourself. “ Merc stood and went back towards the bathroom. Grabbing his shoes, Faith presumed. She relaxed and closed her eyes, resting just for a while. 

She jumped up when she heard a loud crash back toward the bathroom, rushing to see what was the matter. She figured Merc would have left by now. But the young woman was wrong. The sickening smell of blood and flowers permeated the air as she saw Mercury hunched over the bathroom sink, blood dripping from his mouth. Items from the counter were scattered all over the floor. There was white petals, stained with blood scattered around the small counter and floor, and in the sink laid two white daisies. Merc himself looked pale and sick, making the blood dripping from his mouth look bright. 

“Merc!”

The man looked up. “Faith! Don’t look...”

“H... Hana...haki?”

The two stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Eventually, Merc started to clean up the flower petals. 

“Sorry. Don’t worry about it, kiddo. It’s alright.”

“How can you even say that?” 

“I don’t want to talk about it, Faith. Leave it be.”

The ache in Faith’s chest turned into a sharp stabbing pain, and her stomach churned in panic as she realized what was happening and what was coming. Merc was in love with someone... Her suspicions confirmed. She tried desperately to hold back the oncoming flowers pouring from her throat. 

Faith cried out as she lurched to the toilet, daffodil petals scattering to the floor as Faith fell to her knees and expelled three red, whole flowers. Blood leaving bright, smoke like trails in the water. 

As she recovered, she realized Merc was holding back her hair for her. Faith looked up meekly. 

“Thanks...” she whispered. No use hiding it now. Merc frowned at her. 

“How long have you had Hanahaki disease, Faith?”

“How long have you?”

“I asked first.”

Faith sighed. “It started about a six months. It’s been slow moving...”

Merc frowned at her. “... Come on. I’ll make you an appointment. We’ll get it removed and get you back-“

“Excuse me?” 

“Don’t you want to get this removed?”

“How can you ask me that? Hanahaki is terrible, but getting it removed removes the feelings for the person too. I couldn’t do that! The thought of not loving you kills me!” Faith covered her mouth, partially because she was shocked at her own mouth, and because she felt another flower making its way up. Hunching back over the toilet, she didn’t even try to stop the outpour. 

“Faith...”

The runner found herself too tired to bring her head up. 

“What did you say?”

“Forget I said anything, please... Please, Merc...”

She could feel the tracker kneel next to her, a hand on the middle of her back. The other brushed through her hair. Faith’s chest tightened and she felt like she was going to suffocate-

“I love you too, Faith.”

“What...?”

Faith felt Merc wrap his arms around her, drawing her close. Faith finally looked. Was he crying...?

“I’m so sorry to cause you pain. And assume what you wanted...”

She couldn’t help it. She started laughing, leaving Merc bewildered. “What’s so funny?”

“Just... I... It’s been so hard, lately. I accepted that I would die... God. Don’t apologize, you idiot. We’re going to be okay.”

“... yeah. We are.” The laughter was contagious, and Merc laughed with her. As it faded, Merc found himself enchanted by her, leaning in close. Faith eagerly closed the gap, their lips meeting for the first time in a soft kiss. She felt the vines in her chest slowly shrink and unfurl, and she was able to breathe once more. 

Merc broke away and gently leaned his forehead against hers, and all was right again.

**Author's Note:**

> Daffodils represent regard and chivalry. It is indicative of rebirth, new beginnings and eternal life. It also symbolizes unrequited love. A single daffodil foretells a misfortune while a bunch of daffodils indicate joy and happiness. Daisies represent purity and innocence, and convey loyal love that I will not reveal. 
> 
> Thank you for reading!


End file.
